2012 Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II

A subtle refresh for a car that's anything but.

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There’s a new face on the Rolls-Royce Phantom, but the rechristened Series II doesn’t look all that new. In fact, the updated car now looks a lot like its little brother, the Ghost. Rectangular headlights, up high where the aristocracy expects them, hide LED-based lamps (the first such setup fitted as standard to a production car, according to Rolls) that shine brightly. The previous Phantom’s round units—which appeared to be fog lamps, but actually were xenon headlights—are gone. The result is a more cohesive, if slightly less distinctive, countenance.

Inside, the Phantom finally receives an updated navigation system with a larger, 8.8-inch screen and more map views. The controls for the infotainment system are upgraded to the latest BMW iDrive specification, with hard buttons that directly select the audio, navigation, or telephone menus. The Phantom desperately needed this revision, since its infotainment system dated back to the car’s launch in 2003.

Rolls-Royce has left the 6.7-liter V-12 alone, but it has fitted a new eight-speed transmission that is said to boost combined fuel economy by 10 percent. Acceleration remains strong for a sedan that weighs almost the same as a Chevrolet Tahoe; Rolls claims a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.7 seconds. (That’s probably conservative, as we recorded a 0-to-60 run of 5.4 in a car with the previous six-speed auto.) Not too many Phantom owners will engage in such accelerative shenanigans, but for those who do, Rolls-Royce will offer an optional Dynamic package, which is a first for the Phantom sedan. The package adds strengthening crossbars to the existing aluminum space-frame structure, stiffens the suspension, recalibrates the transmission, and adds a thicker rim for the steering wheel. How very Bentley.